Obama to Colorado audience: No more tax-cut fairy dust’

GOP: 8 % jobless rate isn’t good enough

President Barack Obama addresses a crowd of about 3,500 at the State Fairgrounds in Pueblo on Thursday. Obama laid out the case for his re-election, saying he has the better plan to improve the economy for middle-class Americans.

Jindal

PUEBLO  President Barack Obama closed out his two-day visit to Colorado on Thursday with appeals to college students, Latinos and women  all crucial parts of his constituency.

Republican Mitt Romneys campaign trailed Obama every step of the way, dispatching members of the partys A-list to counter the presidents speeches.

During his visit, Obama sat for an interview with Durango Herald editorial writer Megan Graham, along with a Denver Post columnist. On Thursday, he granted interviews to the La Junta Tribune Democrat, Lamar Ledger and Huerfano Journal.

In Pueblo on Thursday, Obama shifted his tone back to middle-class economic concerns after highlighting womens rights and health care a day earlier in Denver.

His administration has provided an average tax cut of $3,600 per middle-class family, Obama said. He restated his call to raise taxes on income above $250,000.

He said Republicans have no plan other than to cut bank regulations and taxes for the rich.

They have tried to sell us this trickle-down, tax-cut fairy dust before. It didnt work, he said.

Romneys allies are stoking talk about the decline of America for political gain, Obama said.

There isnt a country on Earth that wouldnt trade places with the United States of America, he said.

On Wednesday, Romney dispatched one of his possible vice-presidential picks, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, to carry the campaigns message in Colorado. On Thursday, it was Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who often is mentioned as a presidential candidate in four or eight years.

Jindal dismissed Obamas criticisms in a brief interview at a campaign stop in Fountain.

Were Americans first, and certainly we want our country to be doing better economically, Jindal said. One of the reasons were working so hard in this election is we think America would be doing a lot better. Unemployment would be below 8 percent. We wouldnt be borrowing a trillion dollars a year. We wouldnt be heading the way of Greece if we had a different president in the White House.

Obama stumped later Thursday at Colorado College in Colorado Springs. In Pueblo, he spoke to a crowd of 3,500 at the State Fairgrounds. He was introduced by two of the states most successful Latino politicians, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and former Cabinet secretary Federico Peña.

jhanel@durangoherald.com

Obama to Colorado audience: No more tax-cut fairy dust’

Joe Hanel/Durango Herald

President Barack Obama addresses a crowd of about 3,500 at the State Fairgrounds in Pueblo on Thursday. Obama laid out the case for his re-election, saying he has the better plan to improve the economy for middle-class Americans.